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high. It is a tender grass, and makes a sweet hay, but is slow to give 

 up its moisture; and, therefore, rather difficult to cure. When 

 allowed to get the better of the cultivator it becomes a troublesome 

 weed, but with ordinary care it is easily subdued. At Aiken I saw a 

 large lawn, quite a good-looking one, composed almost exclusively of 

 this grass/* (Kearney.) 



1 ' This is an annual grass, which occurs in cultivated and waste 

 grounds, and grows very rapidly during the hot summer months. 

 The culms usually rise to the height of 2 or 3 feet, and are bent at the 

 lower joints, where they frequently take root. At the New Orleans 

 Exposition there were specimens of this grass 5 ft. 10 in. long. 



' ' Professor Killebrew, of Tennessee, says : It is a fine pasture 

 grass ; although it has but few base leaves and forms no sward, yet 

 it sends out numerous stems or branches at the base. It serves a most 

 useful purpose in stock husbandry. It fills all our cornfields, and 

 many persons pull it out, which is a tedious process. It makes a 

 sweet hay, and horses are exceedingly fond of it, leaving the best hay 

 to eat it. 



" Professor Phares, of Mississippi, says that the corn and cotton fields 

 are often so overrun with it that the hay which might be secured 

 would be more valuable than the original crop. It is sometimes 

 mowed from between the rows, sometimes cut across the ridges, and 

 with the corn. 



"Although so much esteemed in the South, it is considered a pest 

 in the Northern States/' (Vasey.) 



" The spontaneous growth affords excellent pasturage, as well as 

 hay of the first quality, if properly cured. It contains but little fibre, 

 and dries quickly when cut, but if after cutting it is wet by rains or 

 heavy dews its value for hay is almost entirely destroyed." (Lamson- 

 Scribner.) 



Other uses. ee It produces much seed, of which birds are fond. 

 The common method of collecting and preparing it in Germany is as 

 follows : At sunrise the grass is gathered or beaten into a hair- 

 sieve from the dewy grass, spread on a sheet, and dried for a fort- 

 night in the sun. It is then gently beaten with a wooden pestle in a 

 wooden trough or mortar, with straw laid between the seeds and the 

 pestle, till the chaff comes off ; they are then winnowed. After this they 

 are again put into the trough or mortar in rows, with dried marigold 

 flowers, apple, and hazel-leaves, and pounded till they appear bright ; 

 they are then winnowed again, and being made perfectly clean by 

 this last process are fit for use. The marigold leaves are added to 

 give the seed a finer colour. A bushel of seed with the chaff yields 

 only about 2 quarts of clean seed. When boiled with milk and wine 

 it forms an extremely palatable food, and is in general made use of 

 whole, in the manner of sago, to which it is in most instances pre- 

 ferred." (Hortus Gramineus Woburnensis). 



Habitat and range. All over the colonies, except Tasmania and 

 South Australia, in all soils and situations. Occurs also in Europe, 

 Asia, Africa, America, and the Pacific Islands. 



